More than 61,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison.

In May, Iran upheld a 10-year prison sentence for Nadarkhani and three other Christians after they were convicted of promoting “Zionist Christianity.”

The American Center for Law and Justice, which has been helping to legally represent Nadarkhani, launched a petition in support of the persecuted pastor.

“Iran’s actions violate its own constitution that guarantees religious freedom, and multiple international human rights treaties,” reads the petition, which as of Thursday afternoon has more than 61,300 signatures.

“We’re once again ramping up our legal advocacy efforts to fight across the globe for Pastor Youcef’s freedom and hold Iran accountable for its heinous persecution of Christians. We must take swift action to free Pastor Youcef before it’s too late.”

In a statement released Thursday morning, the ACLJ said it believes “Iran will only listen when it feels the maximum pressure of the international community.”